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'Hindu Taliban' threatens Goa bars

A Hindu nationalist group has warned it plans to target women drinking alcohol in the beach bars of Goa, India's tropical hot spot. The Sri Rama Sene group, described by Indian media as the "Hindu Taliban", says the former Portuguese enclave is the centre of an immoral culture that is spreading throughout India. Its leader, Pramod Muthalik, said his group would start by asking bar owners to close down, and if that failed, it would launch direct attacks on the tourist clientele.

The threat follows a recent attack on female drinkers in a Mangalore bar and a series of assaults on courting couples on Valentine's night. Sri Rama Sene is officially banned in Goa, but sympathy for its anti-western values is growing among those who live in an area increasingly blighted by the effects of drug and alcohol abuse.